


Waltzing by the Pond

by sideoftea (orphan_account)



Series: Unified Borders [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Claumitri, Dialogue Heavy, Fluff, Garreg Mach Monastery (Fire Emblem), Inner Dialogue, M/M, Minor Spoilers, Nighttime, POV Third Person, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Slow Dancing, Stargazing, dimiclaude, unified borders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-31 07:38:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21117839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/sideoftea
Summary: It's the evening of the ball at Garreg Mach Monastery. Dimitri, in an attempt to take a break from the festivities, wanders out towards the fishing pond and to his surprise, encounters Claude relaxing under the stars.





	Waltzing by the Pond

**Author's Note:**

> A continuation of my "Unified Borders" series. A collection of vignettes focusing on the relationship between Dimitri and Claude during the events of Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

A crisp breeze wafted through an opening in the large black iron doors of the reception hall as Dimitri slipped outside. The wind, forewarning the coming Winter, blew through the young prince’s blond bangs as he sought temporary refuge from the festivities of the ball. The air outside was still damp, the product of an early morning rain. He loved this time of year. The smell of cracked, dying leaves under his feet and the stiffness of the cool air was nostalgic. It reminded him of picnics with his mother in various fields around Duscur when he was quite young. Dimitri longed to return to those times, when the weight of responsibilities of being a future leader to an entire kingdom didn’t rest solely on his shoulders. He often found himself to be envious of commoners, and their ability to lead simple lives.

Dimitri, after crossing a small courtyard, continued through the now dark and empty entrance hall of the monastery and into the dining hall. Inside there was a handful of other students, also taking a break from the party, gathered around some tables. They merrily shared stories from their childhoods, experiences from recent missions assigned by the Church of Seiros, and confessions of other students that struck their fancy and were working up the courage to ask to dance that evening. A couple young women from the Blue Lions house noticed their leader striding through the hall and gave him a cheerful wave, giggling from the intoxicating wine they were drinking. Dimitri warmly returned the gesture as he stepped back outside. It was good to see the students unwind, even if just for a short while. The recent events of Remire Village and dangers surrounding the death knight still weighed heavily on their minds. Such matters were taken care of for now, and they deserved to indulge in this fleeting moment of peace.

All was quiet out near the fishing pond. The only sounds came from the clicking of the prince’s boots on the cobblestone and the pond water gently lapping at the edge of its pool. He approached the top of a flight of stairs while looking upwards. The clouds of the aforementioned rain were finally starting to part, revealing a few bright stars. Dimitri looked out towards the pond as he descended the staircase and noticed a figure sitting at the edge of the pool near the greenhouse. The person had his feet submerged in the water and was also looking up at the stars. The soft moonlight caught the profile of his face and Dimitri realized it was none other than Claude, the leader of the Golden Deer house.

Dimitri thought it was strange to see Claude of all people, someone who was known to be quite fond of large feasts and celebrations, isolating himself from the activity. The typically poised and unwavering heir to the Leicester Alliance almost seemed vulnerable as he rested, contemplatively looking up at the night sky. Dimitri subconsciously took a sharp breath inward and held it as he approached. Claude caught sight of the prince of Faerghus walking towards him and looked startled for a brief moment, but his reposeful demeanor soon returned as Dimitri neared. 

“Ah, your princeliness! What are you doing out here? Don’t you have a ball to be attending to?”

“I could ask you the same question Claude.” Dimitri glanced over Claude with a perplexed, but amused look.

“Isn’t it a little cold to be soaking your feet?”

“The water’s still warm from the hot summer we had. It feels nice.”

“Hm. Care if I join?”

Dimitri began to sit, stripping off his boots and then plunged his ankles into the dark, lukewarm water. Small minnows began to hover around the Dimitri’s feet, the bravest of the bunch poking at them curiously. Dimitri, amused by this, chuckled softly. Claude watched all of this, completely transfixed. It was refreshing seeing the stoic prince with his guard down, acting so amiable and relaxed.

“You’re right. It is still warm.” Dimitri said, his lips slyly curving upwards as he remained watching the minnows. After a few moments of stillness, Claude exhaled and broke the silence again.

“I’m guessing you needed a break from the excitement too?”

“Yes. I will admit, I’m not... fond of parties. But I must say, it surprises me to see you all the way out here.”

“What can I say? It’s exhausting. Everyone and their ancestors want to talk my ear off and dance with me. A guy needs a break!” Claude shot a wink. Dimitri just rolled his eyes. As much as he wanted to be annoyed at how flippant Claude could be, it was unapologetic, and he couldn’t bring himself to hate it.

“I understand. You wouldn’t want them to be disappointed once they find out how bad of a dancer you are.” Dimitri smirked. Claude, being caught off-guard, couldn’t help but emit a genuine laugh in response.

“That’s rich coming from you. You’re about as graceful as an untamed wyvern.” Dimitri felt a twinge of embarrassment form across his face and glared but did not drop his smile. He playfully punched Claude in the shoulder in an act of defense.

“Ah sorry,” Claude reeled, “Didn’t mean to offend the future king of the great Holy Kingdom of Faerghus!” Claude couldn’t help but add a flavor of mock-pompousness to his words, and thus, laughed at his own joke. Dimitri could only sigh, knowing he wouldn’t best Claude at a game of wits. However, he recalled where he did have the upper-hand.

“Keep this up and you will have to make an appointment with my lance.”

“Hey! You’re the one who insulted my dancing skills. I’ll have you know many people enjoyed my company on the ballroom floor tonight, even Teach.”

“You danced with the professor?!” Dimitri snorted, intrigued.

“It sure was a sight. I practically had to drag her out there. Shortly after we danced she got all flustered and left. I think she has more problems with big parties than you do.”

“Ah Claude. Always so bold. Even when you know it will probably get you in trouble… I can’t help but respect it.” In a rare moment of not knowing what to say, Claude just smiled, melting a bit at the prince’s affirmation. Dimitri always had a knack for helping people realize their best selves. Even though he was quite serious, the young prince was incredibly genuine. He glanced back over to see Claude wistfully looking up at the stars again. Dimitri could only imagine what new dreams were spinning in that head of his. Despite his outward charisma, he found Claude to be an extremely introspective person.

“The sky is beautiful tonight, don’t you think?” Claude spoke.

“Stunning. It’s nice to have someone to share it with.” Dimitri replied, almost without thinking. He could feel Claude glance over at him curiously while he prayed to the Goddess his face had not just turned beet red. Claude amused, slyly took his feet out of the water and stood up. While Dimitri was silently cursing himself for his embarrassment, he saw a welcoming hand extended towards him in his peripheral vision.

“There was someone else I wanted to ask for a dance tonight.” Dimitri looked up and caught Claude’s gaze. The young house leader looked certain, yet a little nervous. “That is, if you want to find out exactly how bad of a dancer I am.” Dimitri froze for a second, then shook his head and laughed.

“You can’t be serious.” If he wasn’t red before, he definitely was now.

“Come on, I won’t bite.” Claude teased with another wink. Dimitri paused, then cautiously took the hand being offered and was promptly lifted out of the water. Claude, despite being shorter, gently placed Dimitri’s hand on his shoulder and rested his own hand on the prince’s side. Dimitri looked at him in awe, becoming enveloped in his emerald-green eyes. Feeling another breath get caught in his throat, Dimitri determined Claude possessed the power to see into souls. Claude, somewhat receptive to the prince’s running thoughts, simply beamed as he led them into the initial step of the dance. 

The two house leaders performed a slow waltz by the pond side. The droning sound of melodic violin strings could be heard in the distance, emanating from the windows of the monastery’s reception hall. Claude led the dance, softly prompting the movements by applying slight pressure to Dimitri’s side. They did not feel the need to speak, but only to enjoy this moment. A rare quiet moment. One where they were not thinking about their futures or the expectations placed on them. One where they could simply exist together, under the cool, starry night sky. 

Their bare feet skimmed across the damp cobblestone gracefully; their eyes almost never broke contact, just briefly at times to ensure they would not accidentally step on the other.

The dance reached a natural stopping point prompted by the violins ending their song. The young men chuckled, and in another brave moment Claude pulled Dimitri closer, resting his head on the prince’s chest. Dimitri could feel his heart pounding. A part of him hoped that Claude did not notice, though another part of him secretly did. After a long moment of tranquility, Dimitri heard Claude’s soft voice speak up again.

“I’m not too bad of a dancer after all, huh?”

“I suppose not.” Dimitri chuckled in response.

The young noblemen, now getting chilly as the night grew colder, strapped back into their boots. The breeze strengthened, and Claude shivered, feeling the warm callousness of the prince’s hand meeting his. Understanding it was the prince’s turn to lead, Claude sighed happily as Dimitri guided them back towards the ball in a peaceful silence, with their fingers intertwined.

\- - -

From behind the bushes that adorned the front of the greenhouse, a flash of pink hair whipped into existence. Hilda, having just stealthily watched the entire event unfold, snickered to herself.

“Ha! I knew it. Looks like Sylvain owes me one-hundred gold.” Her chin rested in her hand as she watched her best friend and his newfound light venture back to take on the festivities once more.


End file.
